CRX 2000: Turbocharged & Rear Wheel Drive

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Aaron’s confidence is earned through his involvement in motorsports but has also been honed through his profession. As a trained Tool and Die maker he has the knowledge and expertise to support his hobby. He owned and operated WeirTech (you may recall me raving about the artistry of the downpipe WeirTech built for my NX GTi-R) for seven years and assisted numerous car owners with custom build projects. All the while, the CRX 2000 sat in a corner of the shop and, as time permitted, the next piece was designed, built, and added. Ideas were constantly being considered, sometimes they made it to the drafting table, and eventually were included in the car. With projects like this the first comment that a nameless someone on the Internet usually makes is that with enough time and money, you can do anything. I am going to change that to with enough time and talent. I think that is the more important facets of this project. Obviously it cost money, but when you look at this car and see the number of pieces that Aaron custom designed and built you will realize that talent is far more valuable than money. The intent has always been to do things right the first time, a philosophy co-driver Robb instilled in Aaron, but with a project like this you often have to make changes as you go along! No matter how big picture you are, it is impossible to consider all of the variables.

Aaron works for Vibrant Performance at their Mississauga, Ontario Head Office. Vibrant Performance is sponsoring Aaron and the CRX 2000 in the Ontario 1500.

The rear is being prepared for a diffuser. Aaron also realizes that the custom muffler he built will need to be altered. It will be to his advantage to add a hitch so that he can haul a trailer with supplies when he participates in the week long Ontario 1500 September 13-20, 2015. That means the centre exhaust must be relocated.

The front and rear sub-frames and connectors are obviously the key considerations when the project requires such a massive change – not only the change to rear wheel drive but the addition of forced induction also mandated that significant strengthening be done throughout. Aaron realized that this project required flexibility and the potential for change, so he built a jig for the front end sub-frame, that way revisions could be readily compared to the original and then adapted as needed. After welding, the jig could be unbolted and the piece made ready for installation. The completed sub-frame is bolted in and, obviously, will be easier to unbolt and revise than if it were welded in. As there were neither manuals nor how to books, it did have to come out once or twice to allow for changes to ensure proper fitment.

You can see the smile on Aaron's face as he wheels the car down this country road. Beautiful scenery, a lovely windy section of pavement, and the CRX 2000 is just waiting for the next corner. And the next straight, too!

I cannot imagine how Aaron felt when he pulled out the plasma cutter and watched it bite into the firewall. A combination of excitement, adrenaline, and pure fear that the car may never see the road again would be what most of us would experience. And most of us would have never made it to the point of getting the car back on the road. That confidence in his own knowledge and creativity is what I am sure allowed Aaron to move forward with a massive hole in the CRX’s firewall and floor. Using a custom support that bolted to both the intake and exhaust on the S2000’s engine, Aaron was able to hang the drivetrain – both engine and transmission – into position in the car to make the necessary fitment. There is no doubt that having a secure hanger for the engine ensured accuracy and also the safety of those working under and around the car.

Building engine mounting points was something Aaron had already done when he fitted a B17 from an Integra into the CRX.  Courtesy of other projects with B series swaps that he had performed in the past Aaron knew that he wanted his engine to sit higher in the CRX.  To allow this he designed custom mounting plates. This part of the install went ahead easily. If you can say easily when you are installing a RWD drivetrain into a tiny CRX.

The B17 that Aaron had previously swapped into the CRX may typically have been low in this car, but I'm sure that was nothing compared to the S2000 engine. Mere inches between the oil pan and catastrophe. A dry sump kit will be installed this winter, allowing for better oil flow during hard corners and, most importantly of all, providing much better ground clearance.